SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Apr 14, 2014) - Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCQB: PLPL), a producer of highly bioavailable plant extracts for industries including health, wellness, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical, today announced that it has received approval from the Ethics Committee at North West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa to commence a human clinical trial to test the oral bioavailability of its Phytofare™ Catechin Complex.

Phytofare™ is the trade name for live plant material extracts that have undergone the Company's proprietary hydrodynamic sheering process to rearrange the isomeric configuration of the molecules into a format biocompatible with human tissues.

The study will compare the oral bioavailability -- meaning the level of catechin absorption into the blood stream -- of Phytofare™ compared with green tea extracts that have not been processed as well as Phytofare™ that has subsequently been further entrapped in Pheroid®. The Company anticipates that the trial will demonstrate that Phytofare™ and Phytofare™ entrapped in Pheroid® have materially significant superior bioavailability, which should provide the ability to deliver a clinical level of plant nutrients as relatively low dosages. Plandaí believes that this will unlock the health potential of not only green tea but also other phytonutrients which suffer from low natural bioavailability.

According to the timeline provided by the University, the recruitment of the participants is scheduled to start on the 14th of April. The start date of the first leg, where the bioavailability of the comparator will be determined, is scheduled for the 11th of May. Final results from all three legs of the trial should be available in July 2014. North West University, located in Potchefstroom, South Africa, is considered one of the finest research facilities on the continent.

Plandaí Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Roger Duffield commented, "While we have exhaustively tested our Phytofare™ in several applications, including the recently concluded topical anti-aging study, the final piece for us is human bioavailability. Many phytonutrients exhibit tremendous potential in the lab for treating a host of medical and health conditions, but low oral absorption renders them ineffective when taken from the lab and into real world applications. At Plandaí, we believe that nature has provided us with most of what we need to combat everything from obesity to cancer to Alzheimer's -- we just need to improve our bodies' ability to process these nutrients. Phytofare will hopefully achieve that very thing."

Plandaí's first product to market will be Phytofare™ Catechin Complex, which includes the entire catechin profile derived from live green tea that is grown and processed on the Company's 8,000 acre Senteeko estate in South Africa. Later in 2014, and pending the results of a human clinical trial for treating cold and flu symptoms, the Company will begin producing Phytofare™ Limonoid Glycoside Complex, which contains citrus bioflavonoids.

About Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc.

Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop highly bioavailable, phytonutrient rich extracts which are being utilized to deliver a new family of drugs to safely and affordably treat a multitude of diseases and conditions. Plandaí Biotechnology controls every aspect of the process, from growing the raw materials on its farms in South Africa, to producing its patented Phytofare™ extracts in-house, allowing the Company to guarantee the continuity of supply as well as quality control throughout the entire process. Targeted industries for the Company's products include beverage, cosmeceutical, wellness, nutraceutical, anti-aging, and pharmaceutical. For more information, please visit http://www.plandaibiotech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

The information provided may contain forward-looking statements and involve risks and uncertainties. Results, events and performances could vary from those contemplated. These statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, expressed or implied, to differ from predicted outcomes. Risks and uncertainties include product demand, market competition, and Plandaí's ability to meet current or future plans. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Plandaí is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, to reflect events or circumstances afterward, or to disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.